USAA, USAA Foundation increase COVID-19 assistance by $6.3M

USAA and the USAA Foundation Inc. announced Tuesday they will provide an additional $6.3 million in assistance for coronavirus relief, with $4.7 million earmarked for the San Antonio area.

The latest donations up their total COVID-19 contributions to more than $10.7 million.

Beneficiaries of USAA and the USAA Foundation’s largess and the amounts include: LiftFund, $700,000 to help veteran entrepreneurs; UT Health San Antonio, $500,000 for testing; United Way, $300,000; and South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless, $250,000.

Alamo Colleges, San Antonio Independent School District and BiblioTech will receive a combined $850,000 to purchase several hundred Chromebooks and broadband hot spots. An estimated 60 percent of students in the school district do not have internet at home.

The latest donations include the previously announced additional $1 million for the San Antonio Food Bank.

The donations are directed at four main areas: financial support for military families, food insecurity in San Antonio and other cities where USAA has campuses, COVID-19 medical research and equipment, and providing low-to-moderate income students and families access to online education and employment.

“USAA’s mission calls us to help military families achieve financial security, and we believe that supporting military-focused organizations and the communities where we work and live is part of that mission,” USAA CEO and President Wayne Peacock said in a statement. “We’re proud to work with vital organizations that appreciate and respect the sacrifices of military families, to lend a hand in this time of great need.”

USAA, a financial services and insurance company, is one of San Antonio’s largest private employers. About 19,000 of its 35,000 employees are based in San Antonio. The company has about 13 million members, comprised current and former military personnel and their families.

Other organizations receiving support are the Southwest Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio and UTSA for COVID-19 vaccine research and treatment efforts.

“Through the multi-disciplinary talents of the four organizations, we are positioned to lead global intervention efforts that will bring an end to the current pandemic,” Dr. Larry Schlesinger, CEO and president of Texas Biomedical Research Institute, said in a statement.

The dollars also will help expand COVID-19 testing capacity at UT Health for patients and health care workers.

Money also is going to Semper Fi & America’s Fund, which provides financial assistance to combat wounded, ill and injured servcie members. The USAA Foundation will help with lost wages, groceries, home-delivered meals, household supplies and other needs for service members, veterans and family members facing financial stress during the pandemic.

USAA said it’s working with Operation Gratitude to provide care packages for emergency personnel and health care workers across six cities where it has a corporate presence. Besides San Antonio, the cities are Addison/Plano, Tampa, Phoenix, Colorado Springs and Chesapeake, Va.